Since both Autonomous Communities are located on the Mediterranean, tourism there faces the same problems regarding development and growth: the intelligent use of water as a key resource. That means water is no longer something that follows a straight-line route with no return from collection to discharge, to become a resource for which strategies are proposed to convert this line into a circle that allows water to be recycled. In fact, the framework water Directive requires this paradigm change, which in turn is a driver for the great need for innovation in this field.

This requires highly specialised and experienced research groups that can not only carry out projects focused on improvement and progress with guarantees, but are also capable of offering this experience through a good teaching programme aimed at creating talent and headhunting. The UIB, the UdG, the CSIC and the ICRA are together able to generate one of the best research and teaching offers in the entire Spanish university system simply by combining the experience they have built up in water R&D&I and applying it to a region that needs smart water management.

Girona is a province that has a longstanding water-related tradition and activity from bottling companies to spas and protected countryside such as the Banyoles system and the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà cluster. Therefore Gerona is a Water Innovation Group within the 17- programme group that the Catalan government has planned for its region. As a result of this, the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), promoted by the Catalan government, has its headquarters in Girona, specifically in the Scientific and Technological Park of the UdG.

This application includes, as a differentiating quality aspect compared with the previous one, includes both agreements with the UPC and AGBAR-CETAQUA, providing the initiative with greater scope and territorial dimension.

IMEDEA’s and CIDTUR’s activities set out within the framework of the Tourism Sustainability Line focus on the marine aquatic environment, which is closely interrelated with the water line. Finally, the CSIC Blanes Advanced Studies Centre is also joining the campus to give the project great sturdiness, quality and institutional dimension, and which will contribute its research in aquatic ecosystems. We should also highlight the CNRS water ecology research centre (Banyuls-Sur-Mer, France) within the cross-border framework.

Key resources

The Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), which has vast potential, is an institution that is a key addition to the project. Despite its being a very young institution (only 4 years old) it is already positioned internationally as a centre of reference in the study of Mediterranean ecosystems and in water recycling and purification technologies.

The Blanes Advanced Studies Centre is a CSIC centre that specialises in marine aquatic studies. Its participation in this campus of excellence project is crucial both in order to cover aspects not fully dealt with by the UdG and to create research links with the UIB and with a sister institute in Banyuls-Sur-Mer (France), a member of the PRES-PM.

The experience that the Institute of Aquatic Ecology (IEA-UdG) has built up over 25 years and the scope of the Institute of Environment Research (IMA-UdG) at the University of Gerona, which has powerful research groups in its ranks, such as the Ecology Aquatic Continental and Environmental Microbiology groups and the Environmental and Chemical Engineering Laboratory.

The water resource management experience that both the Catalan Water Agency and the Costa Brava Consortium have obtained (the latter has been intensely active in R&D&I in recycled water) has placed Girona in the international spotlight thanks to projects such as the construction of artificial wetlands for tertiary treatment of wastewater in Empuriabrava.

Researchers at the Environmental and Chemical Engineering Laboratory are involved in various projects with a wide scope (a CONSOLIDER project, two CENIT projects), coordinate a Marie Curie ITN in Integral Management of the water cycle, and are leaders in technology transfer at the UdG.

The experimental centre in the Balearic Islands of the Spanish Agrarian and Food Research and Technology Institute(INIA-CAIB-UIB): Agriculture, Environment and Water Economy Research Institute.

The Submarine Robotic Research Centre, at the UdG, managed by one of the leading groups of the UdG (VICOROB). Researchers at the UdG, in some cases in collaboration with others at the UIB, develop robotised systems for sub-aquatic work (searches, repairs, etc.) which could be excellent tools for various research groups.

A leading company in the sector, such as Agbar, joining the e-MTA Campus, and the wide collaboration experience with other companies and institutions (the Besós Consortium, Aigües Ter-Llobregat, Alba-Ter Consortium, etc.)

The diversity of consolidated groups, various fields (economics, law, education, physics, engineering, meteorology, etc.) which focus their research line on water management from all points of view.